Armani the brand strategy
...r conglomerates to take over smaller independent brands. Giorgio Armani is credited with radically changing the rules of fashion in the late twentieth century. He created the androgynous style admired for its clean lines and beautifully cut clothes. Unlike his competitors, Armani does not respond to fashionable whims and steadfastly sticks to his stylistic beliefs. Armani carefully nurtures his brand’s mystique and this, claim analysts, underlies his success. Armani designs, produces and distributes women’s and men’s clothing, eyewear, watches, cosmetics, furniture, and house-wares under a range of brand names. He is expanding into jewellery and hotels. His brands include Armani Collezioni, Emporio Armani, Armani Jeans, Armani Exchange, Armani Parfums, Armani Cosmetics, Armani Casa, and Evolution. Besides selling through traditional retailers, Armani has 251 stores in 34 countries. Armani controls much of the production and distribution of his lines. In 1990 he bought Antinea, a clothing manufacturer that turns out men’s and women’s clothes for the Emporia Armani label. In 1996 he acquired a controlling interest in Simint, a casual-wear producer that manufactures Armani Jeans. In 1997...